Type specimens and identity of the described species of Conus.

During the third decade of the 19th century, 21 authors described 35 Recent and 11 fossil species of Conus , in 26 separate publications. This brought to 532 the number of species-group names in the genus introduced up to 1830. Only five fossil and seven Recent species are now considered valid. Two additional valid Recent species were described but were given preoccupied names. The remaining nominal species are concluded to be junior or contemporaneous synonyms (19), nomina dubia (11), of infrasubspecific rank (1), or not now considered Conus (1). At present 160 valid species of Conus are recognized from the species-group names described between 1758 and 1830. Of these, 138 are extant and 22 are known only as Tertiary fossils. Nine otherwise valid species, six Recent and three fossil, were described but were given preoccupied names.     

Type specimens and identity of the described species of Conus VII. The species described 1810–1820

During the second decade of the 19th century, eight authors described 24 recent and 26 fossil species of Conus , bringing to 486 the number of proposed species-group names in the genus through 1820. This study analyses these nominal species, as well as three described by Perry in 1810, and evaluates the status of each. Most of the European Tertiary species described by Brocchi in 1814 and some of those described by Borson and Schlotheim in 1820 are valid. Megerle von Mühlfeld in 1816 and Dillwyn in 1817 each described a valid recent species. All other Conus species names introduced during the period are synonyms of previously or contemporaneously described species or nomina dubia. Type specimens of 23 species, including one neotype, are known to exist today. At the present time 148 valid species of Conus are recognized from the species-group names introduced between 1758 and 1820. Of these, 131 are extant and 17 are known only as Tertiary fossils. In addition, six otherwise valid species, three recent and three fossil, were described but were given preoccupied names.     

神农架国家公园植物采集史及模式标本名录

本文基于标本及文献数据对神农架国家公园高等植物标本采集史进行简要概述。该地区有着近140年的标本采集历史, 最早对神农架地区进行植物标本采集的是爱尔兰植物学家Augustine Henry。中国科学院武汉植物园标本馆(HIB)收藏了采自该地区的21,402份标本, 居首位; 其次为中国科学院植物研究所标本馆(PE) 16,483份、华中农业大学博物馆(CCAU) 1,851份。标本采集年份主要集中在1956-1959、1976-1981、1985-1987三个时间段, 其中以1976年采集数量为最多。标本采集月份主要集中在4-11月, 8月采集量最大。不同植物的标本数量两极分化严重, 标本量多的如桦叶荚蒾(Viburnum betulifolium), 高达295份, 然而有612种植物的标本量仅1份, 约2/3的植物标本量少于10份。因而, 在今后的采集工作中我们应该将重心置于标本数量不足的物种和类群, 而标本数量过剩的类群则应减少或停止采集; 植物标本的采集过程应尽可能全覆盖, 突出对高海拔、峡谷、石壁、无人区等特殊生境的调查。采集时间上应该注重春、冬二季。此外, 我们对该地区的维管植物模式标本进行了考证, 编制了《神农架国家公园维管植物模式标本名录》。该地区共有维管植物模式标本39种2变种3变型, 隶属24科34属。对神农架国家公园维管植物模式标本的整理为履行联合国教科文组织世界遗产中心的要求及进一步开展神农架遗产的管理与保护提供了依据。     

动物剥制标本修复技术的改进

动物标本资源越来越珍贵,其修复技术需要不断更新。本文针对动物剥制标本出现的干裂破损、脱毛、褪色、霉烂、虫蛀现象,针对不同类群的动物标本修复作了技术探索,包括使用新型修补材料、新的补色方法,以及新的防霉、除虫技术等。与以前的修复技术相比,新技术充分利用了新材料和新方法,操作简单易行。通过介绍几个修复案例,展示新的修复技术能使损坏的动物剥制标本恢复如初。     

Further notes on the fishes from the collection of Laurens Theodore Gronovius (1730–1777)

Previously unrecognized fish specimens from the collection of Laurens Theodore Gronovius (1730–1777) are catalogued and described. Five specimens of as many taxa are in the collection of the British Museum (Natural History) and nine specimens of seven taxa preserved in alcohol are in the collection of the Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, With one exception all have been examined; they are identified, related to the literature and eight specimens are shown to be part of the type series of Linnaean fish taxa.     

Further notes on the fishes from the collection of Laurens Theodore Gronovius (1730–1777)

Previously unrecognized fish specimens from the collection of Laurens Theodore Gronovius (1730–1777) are catalogued and described. Five specimens of as many taxa are in the collection of the British Museum (Natural History) and nine specimens of seven taxa preserved in alcohol are in the collection of the Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, With one exception all have been examined; they are identified, related to the literature and eight specimens are shown to be part of the type series of Linnaean fish taxa.     

大中型鸟类标本修复翻新方法探索

本文报道一种修复与翻新大中型鸟类标本的方法,包括以下步骤:1.拆标本;2.皮张回软、清洗;3.皮张修复缝合;4.涂抹防腐剂;5.支撑架制作与固定;6.填充与缝合;7.整形与标本固定.皮张回软时,利用药液浸泡可使皮张保持弹性,保证翻新后皮张仍保持完好形态.珍珠棉水果网作为填充物,既环保又可免招虫蛀,亦能使做出的标本形态更加逼真.     

Linnaean fish specimens in the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm

Specimens of fish in the Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, Stockholm, which are type specimens of species described by Linnaeus are listed. A total of 94 taxa is represented in the collection. The sources for the typification of each taxon are given and the existence of type material in other collections is noted. A short history of this collection of fishes is given as it relates to confirmation of the original nature of the specimens.
Most of the taxa represented came from the collection of King Adolf Fredrik (1710–1771) and were described by Linnaeus in the Museum Adolphi Friderici Volumes 1 and 2 (1754a, 1764) or from Fredrick Hasselqvist's (1722–1752) collections in North Africa and the Mediterranean borderlands.     

Genomics Reveals the Origins of Historical Specimens

Centuries of zoological studies have amassed billions of specimens in collections worldwide. Genomics of these specimens promises to reinvigorate biodiversity research. However, because DNA degrades with age in historical specimens, it is a challenge to obtain genomic data for them and analyze degraded genomes. We developed experimental and computational protocols to overcome these challenges and applied our methods to resolve a series of long-standing controversies involving a group of butterflies. We deduced the geographical origins of several historical specimens of uncertain provenance that are at the heart of these debates. Here, genomics tackles one of the greatest problems in zoology: countless old specimens that serve as irreplaceable embodiments of species concepts cannot be confidently assigned to extant species or population due to the lack of diagnostic morphological features and clear documentation of the collection locality. The ability to determine where they were collected will resolve many on-going disputes. More broadly, we show the utility of applying genomics to historical museum specimens to delineate the boundaries of species and populations, and to hypothesize about genotypic determinants of phenotypic traits.     

生物力学测试中小梁骨试件的保存和制备方法

骨骼在平时发挥的是支撑和运动作用,在受到撞击后保护脏器的同时自身也会断裂、受损,这都是骨与力之间相互作用产生的结果。如果可以知道骨的力学属性,并带入有限元模型计算,就可以个体化地预测其生活中的各种动作是否会导致急慢性创伤、协助判断暴力事件(如交通事故、坠落等)对其骨骼造成的破坏、在术前对骨骼质量给予指导性的评估[1]等。但是人类的骨骼看似简单,却千变万化,想要确切了解其各项属性的内在联系很困难。骨骼并不是几种材料的简单堆积,如骨骼整体的强度要大于其所有部位累计的强度[2]就是一个证明。一开始,骨的测试方法遵循普通材料的测试方法,随着研究的深入,对于骨的各个部位、各个类型的属性又有了很多新的探索。寻求最佳的试件保存、制作方法是后期测试获得成功的前提,试件保存的温度、水合状态、取材方向、形状和大小都会引起误差,多因素干扰也使分析结果变得更加困难。也正是因为如此,不同学者测得的数据差异往往比较明显。本研究旨在提炼、归纳一些通用、成熟、合理的方法,为后来的研究者在实验技术方面提供参考,让研究结果更有比较意义。     

以贵州梵净山国家级自然保护区为模式产地的维管植物物种模式标本研究

在对有关模式标本资料广泛查询的基础上,统计出以梵净山国家级自然保护区为模式产地的维管植物91种(含种下单位),隶属于47科73属。除1种无采集人信息外,其余90种由31人或团队采集,这些标本保存于国内外21个研究机构。以该地为模式产地的物种中,19种以梵净山命名。原学名中有17个被归并,其中12个学名在种级水平发生了变化,5个学名在种下水平发生了变化。以该地为模式产地的物种中受威胁的共15种,包括极危(CR) 1种,濒危(EN) 6种,易危(VU) 8种。     

中国高等植物数字化标本分析

传统上馆藏标本,主要用于植物分类学、植物资源学的研究。数字标本的出现将标本的使用拓展到从研究生物多样性时间空间分布到生态学和进化学理论、生物多样性保护、农业和人类健康等广泛领域。截至目前,从互联网上获取的采自中国的植物标本数量已有1 200多万份。该文通过整理和分析这些数据以了解中国植物标本的数字化精度、采集时间和采集地区规律以及采集空缺等状况。结果表明:中国标本采集形成了4个高峰,即20世纪30年代、60年代、80年代和21世纪初,中国植物标本采集和研究工作主要在20世纪50年代后由中国学者完成。标本采集地区覆盖度在省级较好,县级标本采集则很不平衡; 标本采集类群在科属层面覆盖率高,但近五分之一的物种采集不足; 标本的采集量既与植物分布幅度相关,也与采集地区的知名度、所获科研项目及采集者偏好有关。未来中国植物标本数字化方向应该在继续挖掘馆藏标本的同时,一方面开展对现有数字化标本信息再审核及补充,并加强与欧美大馆的信息共享以获取早期历史标本信息; 另一方面应用数字化标本信息分析结果,指导境内标本的精准采集,包括采集薄弱/空白地区、采集薄弱/空白属种的采集,以进一步增强实体标本馆能力,提高数字化标本质量,为进一步完善植物标本数字化和精准化采集提供依据,更好地服务科学和社会的发展。     

The Linnaean fish collection in the Linnean Society of London

Linnaeus's personal collection of fishes was part of the material purchased by J. E. Smith in 1783–1784 from Linnaeus's widow and which became the property of the Linnean Society of London in 1828. There are extant 168 dried specimens of fishes, mostly skins mounted on paper in the manner of herbarium specimens. The spirit-preserved material which belonged to Linnaeus was never sent from Sweden.
The history of the collection is recounted, and the sources of the specimens discussed. A catalogue of the collection is presented with discussion of the type status of the specimens and the sources for the typification of each taxon.     

The Cytological Diagnosis of Pneumocystis Carinii By Fluorescence Microscopy of Papanicolaou Stained Bronchoalveolar Lavage Specimens

In a retrospective and prospective analysis fluorescence microscopy of Papanicolaou stained bronchoalveolar lavage specimens has been applied to the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii (PC) in routine cytology. The pneumocysts presented as circular structures of 5 microns in diameter and of brilliant green-yellow fluorescence surrounding two mirror image reniform structures. Fluorescent inclusions of 1-3 microns diameter within the alveolar macrophages could be identified as remnants of pneumocysts by a follow-up of all steps of degradation ending in very small irregular granules. By applying both criteria, i.e. pneumocysts with reniform bodies and degradation inclusions within macrophages, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonitis (PCP) could be detected in 100% of cases. Transbronchial biopsy permitted the correct diagnosis in only 65.2% of cases. Retrospective analysis of slides is possible after a long period as no significant loss of fluorescence occurs after 4 years. Thus fluorescence microscopy permits the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii without any additional staining or loss of time.     

Beyond the “Code”: A Guide to the Description and Documentation of Biodiversity in Ciliated Protists (Alveolata,Ciliophora)

Recent advances in molecular technology have revolutionized research on all aspects of the biology of organisms, including ciliates, and created unprecedented opportunities for pursuing a more integrative approach to investigations of biodiversity. However, this goal is complicated by large gaps and inconsistencies that still exist in the foundation of basic information about biodiversity of ciliates. The present paper reviews issues relating to the taxonomy of ciliates and presents specific recommendations for best practice in the observation and documentation of their biodiversity. This effort stems from a workshop that explored ways to implement six Grand Challenges proposed by the International Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity of Ciliates (IRCN‐BC). As part of its commitment to strengthening the knowledge base that supports research on biodiversity of ciliates, the IRCN‐BC proposes to populate The Ciliate Guide, an online database, with biodiversity‐related data and metadata to create a resource that will facilitate accurate taxonomic identifications and promote sharing of data.     

Integrative taxonomy does not support the occurrence of two species of the Squalius squalus complex (Actinopterygii,Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae) in Italy

The systematic is still unresolved for the genus Squalius (Cyprinidae, Leuciscinae), a rich group of small to large fishes widely distributed throughout Europe. The distinction of one of the Italian narrowly endemic species, Squalius albus (Bonaparte, 1838), described for the area surrounding lake Trasimeno, from the more common and widespread Squalius squalus (Bonaparte, 1837) is doubtful. The application of integrative taxonomy, with DNA taxonomy and quantitative morphometric, using both living and preserved individuals collected from lake Trasimeno before Squalius sp. restocking, allowed us to explicitly test for the identity of the two species in the complex. COI barcoding data, used for phylogenetic reconstructions, underlined that two clades may exist in the complex; nevertheless, DNA taxonomy (ABGD and GMYC) and morphometrics show no statistical support for their identity as separate species. Moreover, during our survey of the genetic diversity of the Italian Squalius, we provided further support for the species status of Squalius lucumonis, and found evidence of the occurrence in Southern Italy of another chub species, Squalius vardarensis (Karaman, 1928), previously known only from the Southern part of the Balkan Peninsula.     

Practical Image Restoration of Thick Biological Specimens Using Multiple Focus Levels in Transmission Electron Microscopy

Three-dimensional electron tomographic studies of thick specimens such as cellular organelles or supramolecular structures require accurate interpretations of transmission electron micrograph intensities. In addition to microscope lens aberrations, thick specimen imaging is complicated by additional distortions resulting from multiple elastic and inelastic scattering. Extensive analysis of the mechanism of image formation using electron energy-loss spectroscopy and imaging as well as exit wavefront reconstruction demonstrated that multiple scattering does not contribute to the coherent component of the exit wave (Hanet al.,1996, 1995). Although exit wavefront restored images showed enhanced contrast and resolution, that technique, which requires the collection of more than 30 images at different focus levels, is not practical for routine data collection in 3D electron tomography, where usually over 100 projection views are required for each reconstruction. Using a 0.7-μm-thick specimen imaged at 200 keV, the accuracy of reconstructions using small numbers of defocused images and a simple linear filter (Schiske, 1968) was assessed by comparison to the complete exit wave restoration. We demonstrate that only four optimal focus levels are required to effectively restore the coherent component (deviation 5.1%). By contrast, the optimal single image (zero defocus) shows a 25.5% deviation to the exit wave restoration. Two pairs of under- and over-defocus images should be taken: one pair at quite high defocus (>10 μm) to differentiate the coherent (single elastic scattering) from the incoherent (multiple elastic and inelastic scattering) components, and the second pair to optimize information content at the highest desired resolution (e.g., 5 μm for (2.5 nm)⁻¹resolution). We also propose a new interpretation of the restored amplitude and phase components where the specimen mass-density is proportional to the logarithm of the amplitude component and linearly related to the phase component. This approach should greatly facilitate the collection of high resolution tomographic data from thick samples.